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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23256796">Make Me Brave</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/willexbroadwayduet/pseuds/willexbroadwayduet'>willexbroadwayduet</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>LOONA (Korea Band), Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff, Mention of Panic Attacks, Mention of abuse, and here it is over a month later, but i'm not mad about it, changbin &amp; jiwoo are siblings, haseul is mentioned, heejin owns a bakery, i had the idea for it in french class on valentine's day, i just have the sara barellies song brave stuck in my head, mention of neglect, mention of rape, mention of suicide, pretend that changbin is younger than jiwoo, pretend that the president of france is a woman, takes place in Paris, the title isn't really relevant, this ended up being pretty different than what i originally thought it would be, why yes i am a procrastinator</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 05:46:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,474</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23256796</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/willexbroadwayduet/pseuds/willexbroadwayduet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When in Paris, save a pretty girl from having a panic attack at a bakery and whisk her off on an impromptu date so she'll fall in love with you. That's Heejin's plan for winning Jiwoo's heart. Will she succeed?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jeon Heejin/Kim Jiwoo | Chuu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Make Me Brave</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jiwoo was panicking.<br/>
She usually hesitated to make that statement, because as she had discovered with the help of her therapist, saying she was panicking only made her panic more. But the reality of her current situation was that she was panicking. </p><p>She wasn’t having a panic attack. It wasn’t a full blown, I’m going to die, convulsing from stress or fear moment. But she was definitely nervous. Why? Well after reconnecting with her long lost brother Jiwoo impulsively suggested they go on a trip together. Since her adoptive parents were wealthy it seemed there was no reason not to. So now Jiwoo and Changbin were in Paris, and now that it was all actually happening, Jiwoo was panicking. She had signed up to spend two weeks in a country she knew very little about where they spoke a language neither her or travel companion understood AND said travel companion was someone she had only met once before at a dinner party where they were never alone together, which is quite different from Jiwoo’s current scenario. Conversations were inevitably going to be awkward and uncomfortable and weird and anxiety provoking and unbearable and what had Jiwoo been thinking?</p><p>She made up an excuse to run out of the hotel as soon as they arrived and followed google maps until it led her to a bakery. When Jiwoo was nervous, sweet treats helped remind her that she was going to be okay. But now there was only one more person in front of her in line and she realized she probably wouldn’t be able to order anything because the cashier most likely only spoke French. Should she just leave? She did want to get something, but would it be possible when she couldn’t read the menu?</p><p>“Are you alright?”</p><p>Jiwoo turned to her left to see who it was that just spoke to her in Korean. A woman with brown wavy hair tucked behind her ears, a yellow skirt and a kind smile was standing next to Jiwoo, who now having realized she was in such close proximity to a pretty girl was having a bit of trouble breathing.</p><p>“Uh, I’m-I-I mean...uh…” Jiwoo started speaking English, but then realized she should respond in Korean. But it was like all of a sudden all of the vocabulary of her second language she’d gathered over the last few years fell out of her head. She didn’t know how to respond. Luckily this beautiful stranger made it easy for her. </p><p>“You’re American, right?” the woman asked in heavily accented English. </p><p>“Yeah. It’s actually-my first time traveling abroad. Well, second. I don’t really remember the first time. Anyway, I don’t speak French. So I’m kind of freaking out here.”</p><p>“You did seem a bit stressed before.”</p><p>“What gave it away?” Jiwoo asked, chuckling anxiously.</p><p>“I can help you order, if you like.”</p><p>“Would you? That would be amazing.”</p><p>“Of course. Let me read you the menu.”</p><p>The woman recited all the pastries that Jiwoo could choose from, and while she tried to listen, she couldn’t help but marvel at how softly stunning this woman was. She was gorgeous for sure, but there was a gentleness to it. She seemed to carry a kindness and sparkle of joy that made Jiwoo want to know her more. Eventually the woman noticed Jiwoo ogling her and giggled.</p><p>“What, do I have something on my face?”</p><p>“Uh-yeah, actually, your lipstick-”</p><p>“Oh gosh, I forgot! I let my niece apply it for me this morning and I haven’t even looked but I know she must have smeared it everywhere. Hold on.”</p><p>“I have a handkerchief,” Jiwoo said, unzipping her fanny pack and pulling a linen cloth out.</p><p>“Would you be a doll and get it for me?” The woman asked.</p><p>“Uh-sure. Of course.” Jiwoo started to wipe at the smudged lipstick, feeling the woman looking at her while she did so. So she looked back and the woman smiled, which made Jiwoo smile. The woman looked down at Jiwoo’s handkerchief.</p><p>“J.K,” the woman read. She’d noticed Jiwoo’s initials stitched into the handkerchief.</p><p>“Stands for Jiwoo Kim. Which is my name. I’m Jiwoo Kim.”</p><p> “Heejin Jeon.”</p><p>“Nice to meet you.” Jiwoo smiled, and for a moment it felt like a fairytale. Staring into the eyes of a beautiful girl in a bakery in Paris? It sounded like something out of a movie. But then Jiwoo realized she was at the front of the line, and it was her turn to order. </p><p>“Oh, uh bonjour! I’ll have a…” Jiwoo turned to Heejin. “What do you suggest?”</p><p>Heejin said something to the cashier in French, and the cashier returned with two plates that each had a croissant on them. She handed the plates to Heejin and Jiwoo fumbled for her wallet.</p><p>“How much?” Jiwoo asked in French, having looked up the saying while at the airport.</p><p>“Don’t worry dear. It’s on me.” Heejin walked over to a table by the window, not even looking back to see if Jiwoo was following. Jiwoo awkwardly looked around and went after her. She sat down across from Heejin, slightly puzzled as to why Heejin was paying for her food and sitting with her when they’d met less than five minutes ago.</p><p>“You didn’t have to do that, you know. I went to an ATM at the airport and got some euros.”</p><p>“I know. I did it because I wanted to.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Because when I meet a cute girl I take any opportunity I can to woo her. Do you think I can woo you, Jiwoo?” Heejin smiled, her eyes glinting playfully as she took a bite of her croissant. </p><p>“Uh, well-you don’t need to try very hard. I’m easily wooed.”</p><p>“Is that so?”</p><p>“Yeah. I’m kind of a hopeless romantic that’s desperate for love so any chance I have I take it.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Why am I a hopeless romantic?”</p><p>“No, why do you take every chance presented to you? You can want love and still have standards.”</p><p>Jiwoo shrugged. “You got to take advantage of what’s given to you. People will leave the second they don’t want you, so seize the moment before you’re abandoned.”</p><p>“Sounds like you’re used to being abandoned.”</p><p>“It’s been the only constant in my life. I was born in South Korea and my birth parents left me on the doorstep of an orphanage when I was three. I was adopted by a white couple in America, but the wife left a few weeks after I came and the husband committed suicide. I bounced around from home to home in the foster care system. It wasn’t until I was thirteen that I found a home. I had given up hope by then. I had gotten used to being mistreated and accepted that I wouldn’t be loved. But I was given a second chance, and finally got a family. Jawad and Zilla, immigrants from Angola. They’re brother and sister. Zilla was raped by her ex boyfriend and got pregnant, and they moved to America to get away from him. Her and Jawad were raising her son together, but thought that he needed a sibling. So they adopted me. And they’re the best parents I could have asked for. I’m very lucky.”</p><p>“Then why do you think you’re always being abandoned? It sounds like there are people in your life that have stuck with you.”</p><p>“They’re the only ones. Once I settled down with Jawad and Zilla in Massachusetts I tried to make friends, but they always ended up being fake. And when I started dating, my heart always got broken. I have some internet friends, but other than them and my family, I’ve always been discarded.”</p><p>Heejin tilted her head. “You don’t seem to carry that kind of pain. Your aura is happy.”</p><p>Jiwoo smiled. “Yeah, I’m a pretty cheerful person. I wasn’t always. After going through countless foster homes and being neglected, abused, assaulted and attacked I had serious PTSD. Luckily Zilla understood that from the beginning and signed me up for therapy as soon as I moved in. It’s really helped. It’s still hard at times, because I have anxiety too. But the past eight years I’ve mostly had good memories, so I’ve become a ray of sunshine.”</p><p>“You mostly had good memories despite bad friendships and relationships?”</p><p>“Yeah, actually. I focused on the positives and learned to enjoy being my own best friend. I worked hard at school and extracurriculars, immersing myself in my community. I learned to play piano and took vocal lessons and volunteered at an animal shelter. I also did musical theater. And was part of mathletes in sophomore year. And like I said, my family’s amazing. So I’m used to being abandoned, but it hasn’t been all bad. Anyway, I’ve been talking about myself too much. What’s your story? If you feel comfortable telling it.”</p><p>Heejin smiled. “I was born in South Korea as well. I lived there with my sister and my father until I was fourteen. My father passed away and my sister and I had to go live with our aunt in France. I did sports and dance in high school, but majored in business for college. I studied in Canada, which is why I can speak English. I came back here once I graduated but decided to stay in Paris, because I had been living in the countryside before when I was with my aunt. I vowed to visit art museums daily and only dine at the finest of eateries.”</p><p>Jiwoo chuckled. “And yet here you are at a mediocre bakery.”</p><p>Heejin laughed, and the sunlight coming through the window made her look like she was glowing. “I own this bakery.”</p><p>Jiwoo’s face turned into an expression of horror, and guilt exploded in her chest. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it in that way, it’s really lovely, I just-”</p><p>“No, no. It’s alright. Tell me how you’d improve it.”</p><p>“W-What?”</p><p>“How would you make the bakery less mediocre?”</p><p>Jiwoo rubbed the back of her neck anxiously and looked around the room. “Well...there isn’t really a consistent color theme. And the furniture doesn’t match the rest of the aesthetic. It makes the ambience a bit mismatched or chaotic.”</p><p>“And the food?”</p><p>Jiwoo pressed her lips together. “Can I be honest?”</p><p>“Brutally.”</p><p>“I’ve had better croissants at Starbucks.”</p><p>Heejin laughed again and Jiwoo squeezed her thigh, something she did to calm herself when she felt anxious. She worried that she’d offended Heejin, who was just acting like she wasn’t hurt when she was. The last thing Jiwoo would want to do is offend or hurt Heejin’s feelings.</p><p>“I appreciate your honesty. All of my customers are scared of me, so they never tell me the truth.”</p><p>Jiwoo’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why are your customers scared of you?”</p><p>“My sister is kind of a big deal around here.”</p><p>“Who’s your sister?”</p><p>“Promise not to freak out?”</p><p>“I’ll try.”</p><p>“She’s the First Lady of France.”</p><p>Jiwoo’s eyes widened to a comically large state. “You’re-I’m-first lady-of France? The country? This country?”</p><p>Heejin nodded, laughing. “Those gentlemen over there are my Secret Service.”</p><p>“Wh-How-I-What?”</p><p>Heejin laughed again. “Take your time dear, it takes a minute to process.”</p><p>“No hold on, let me just get this straight-your sister. Is married to the president of France?”</p><p>“Yep. They were dating before she was in office. She proposed to my sister-Haseul-the night of the election.”</p><p>“So...what does that make you? The First Sister of France?”</p><p>Heejin did a little shrug. “It actually means that for the most part, I’m not involved. I stay out of political diplomatic stuff. But everyone knows who I am, and they see the Secret Service agents, and they’re too intimidated to leave an honest review on yelp.”</p><p>Jiwoo laughed. “Should they be intimidated?”</p><p>“Definitely not. I’m scared of pigeons.”</p><p>Jiwoo chuckled. “But anyway, you’re looking for honest critique?”</p><p>“Yeah. I want to spruce this place up, and serve customers not mediocre pastries.”</p><p>“Do you have any part in the baking?”</p><p>“No, I control the business and money stuff.”</p><p>“Maybe you should get in the kitchen. See what they’re up to. And maybe, possibly, try to bake something yourself.”</p><p>Heejin smiled wistfully. “I used to bake with my father. He showed me how to make daanpatbbang. And bungeoppang.”</p><p>“What’s bungeoppang?”</p><p>“It’s like fish bread, but there ain’t no fish inside.”</p><p>Jiwoo laughed. “You should try to incorporate your Korean culture into your bakery. Or just bring more of you into it. It could help the place feel more authentic.”</p><p>Heejin smiled thoughtfully. “That’s a good idea. You’re very interesting, Kim Jiwoo.”</p><p>Jiwoo grinned. “Thank you, Jeon Heejin.”</p><p>Jiwoo’s phone vibrated, so she went to go check it and saw a text from Changbin. She sighed and her chest tightened with guilt. She shut her phone off.</p><p>“Everything alright?”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s fine. Anyway, what do you do when you’re not...making spreadsheets?”</p><p>“You know nothing about business, do you?”</p><p>“I don’t even know what a spreadsheet is.”</p><p>Heejin told Jiwoo about her hobbies of reading, journaling, and cosmetology. She said that if she ever had to close the bakery, she’d work at a hair salon. Jiwoo said that just made her think of Jonathan Van Ness, and Heejin asked who that was, so Jiwoo launched into a whole spiel about Queer Eye and how amazing it was. Jiwoo also told Heejin about how she had just gotten her bachelor’s in music thanks to early graduation, and hoped to become a concert pianist or maybe play in the pit orchestra for musicals. Heejin asked about her favorite musicals, and then it became a conversation about Heejin’s favorite movies, and then about Jiwoo’s favorite songs, Heejin’s favorite soundtracks, Jiwoo’s favorite video games, Heejin’s favorite TV shows, Jiwoo’s favorite book, Heejin’s favorite animal, on and on and on. They talked for what felt like hours, though when Jiwoo turned her phone back on to check the time, it showed that it had only been forty seven minutes since she’d left Changbin at the hotel. The guilt returned at seeing the missed calls she had from him.</p><p>“Are you sure you’re okay?” Heejin asked. “Every time you look at that device your happy aura wanes.”</p><p>Jiwoo sighed. “I came to Paris because I wanted to go on a trip with my brother Changbin. I only met him for the first time recently, you know, being adopted and all. He tracked me down and said he wanted us to have a relationship.”</p><p>“Do you not want to have a relationship with him?”</p><p>“No, it’s just...I made a mistake. First time being with him alone, bringing him to a foreign country. It’s a bit too much. I should have just let us start small. Grab a coffee and chat. I don’t know. I think I just went big like this because I didn’t know what else to do with myself. I was thrown off by him showing up in Massachusetts. I had accepted a long time ago that I was never going to see or know any of my biological family. But then he appears. It was weird and unexpected. And well...I can’t help but think. My parents had me and then left me on a doorstep of an orphanage. For my whole life I’ve just accepted that it was because they were struggling at the time and couldn’t handle having a child. But they did have another child. And he was raised by them. So they left me, but chose to raise him. They could have kept me, but no. What did I do wrong that made them leave me? What did he do so they wouldn’t leave him? I can’t help but look at him and feel…”</p><p>“Jealous?”</p><p>Jiwoo nodded. “But my dad died in a car crash when Changbin was seventeen and my mom passed away from breast cancer a few years ago, so. It’s not like I can ask them and get closure.”</p><p>“I can imagine how frustrating that feels. But you don’t have to take it out on Changbin.”</p><p>Jiwoo looked up to meet Heejin’s eyes. “What?’</p><p>“It’s not Changbin’s fault that you got left and he didn’t.”</p><p>“I know that.”</p><p>“Are you sure, because it seems like you’re punishing him for it right now.”</p><p>Jiwoo bit her lip contemplatively. “I didn’t think of it that way. I didn’t mean to treat him like that either. He doesn’t deserve to be punished.”</p><p>“So go be with him. Because right now he’s the one being abandoned, and I don’t think you want to do that to someone else after being the victim of it so many times.”</p><p>Jiwoo stood up from her seat. “You’re right. I don’t. I have to go, but this has been incredible. Can I get your number?”</p><p>“Fate will decide if we are to meet again.”</p><p>Jiwoo whined. “Please? You can’t trust fate, and I really want to see you again.”</p><p>“How long will you be in Paris?”</p><p>“Two weeks.”</p><p>“Next Friday there will be a full moon. Meet me on the top floor of the Eiffel Tower that night.”</p><p>“Just to be clear, you’re not giving me your number?”</p><p>Heejin smiled. “Get out of here already. Your brother awaits you.”</p><p>“Okay. Thank you for this. It was enchanting to meet you,” Jiwoo said before leaving the bakery.</p><p> </p><p>“Please, please, please show up,” Heejin mumbled to herself. It was nearly midnight, and she was standing in the freezing cold, on the highest point in France. Waiting for a beautiful girl she’d been thinking about all week. She desperately hoped that Jiwoo would show up. But what if she’d forgotten? What if she’d decided that it wasn’t worth it? What if she had just been acting polite the day they’d met, and she’d never had any intention of seeing Heejin again at all? What if-</p><p>“You are so annoying.”</p><p>“Excuse me, I’m caring and protective. I just wanted to ensure you got here safely.”</p><p>“More like you wanted to be nosy.”</p><p>“I got to make sure she’s good enough for my sister.”</p><p>“Just go already. I’ll see you in the morning.”</p><p>“Oh, you’re going to stay the night? It’s like that?”</p><p>“Shut up and go back to the hotel.”</p><p>The male voice Heejin had been hearing cackled. Heejin looked around, hoping against hope that she had been right, and the voice she had just heard talking to the male voice was Jiwoo’s. </p><p>“Please be here, please be you, please let that be Changbin and not some other guy you met in the past thirteen days not that I’m counting, please don’t be in love with someone else, please don’t abandon me, please show up, please-”</p><p>“Hey there, stranger.” </p><p>Heejin turned around and saw Jiwoo standing there, leaning against the railing and looking absolutely radiant. Heejin thought that the amount of relief and joy that bubbled up in her chest in that moment was enough to power the sun.</p><p>“You’re here,” Heejin said as she walked closer to Jiwoo. “You came.”</p><p>“Of course I came. I wasn’t going to just let you go.” Jiwoo smiled and stepped forward.</p><p>“Thank god. Thank god that you’re deciding to not just let me go.”</p><p>“You’d have to be an idiot to abandon Jeon Heejin.”</p><p>“You’d have to be an idiot to abandon Kim Jiwoo.”</p><p>“Then there have been lots of idiots in my life.”</p><p>“In mine as well.”</p><p>“Fuck all of them.”</p><p>“Right?”</p><p>“Fuck those guys. Let’s shout it.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“On the count of three, let’s shout fuck all the idiots.”</p><p>“Are you sure-”</p><p>“One, two, three!”</p><p>“Fuck all the idiots!” Jiwoo and Heejin shouted together. They burst into giggles, both girls stumbling and losing their balance as they swayed with laughter. They ended up in each other’s arms, and suddenly Heejin didn’t feel cold at all.</p><p>“Jeon Heejin, I would like to kiss you now. Would you like it if I kissed you?”</p><p>“Kim Jiwoo, I also want to kiss you now. I’d love it if you kissed me.”</p><p>And then they were kissing on the Eiffel Tower on the night of the full moon in the most romantic city in the world, and Jiwoo was going to fly back to Massachusetts in two days, but Heejin was planning to take her suggestions for improving the bakery, and one idea she had was hiring a live pianist. Which she did, and of course the pianist was Jiwoo. And in a few years time she was performing in concert halls and alongside massive orchestras while Heejin’s business expanded and the bakery became a chain around the world. When the two moved in together they got a King Charles Spaniel puppy and named it Stay, because there would be no more abandoning in their lives.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thanks for reading! i hope you enjoyed. pls leave comments and follow me on twt @jiwooingme<br/>also for my loonarmys, did you enjoy my reference? ;)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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